Justice Markandey Katju's prescription for a regulated media regime is a misplaced step that can actually de-democratise the fourth estate. IT is open season on the political class and the news media. But then, again, it's more like a chase of one's own tail. A self-righteous, delusional, Anna-Baba NGO-ised fringe sets out to stigmatise politics and Members of Parliament; the news media salivate at the prospect and rush to provide...

Himachal Pradesh-based environmental organisations are elated over the recent High Court judgment against cement majors Jaiprakash Associates Limited for flouting environmental norms and illegally acquiring land for setting up their mega business ventures. Non-governmental organisation Him Parivesh that had filed the petition in the High Court had said: “The years of struggle of the communities and their stand against the Jaypee power project and cement plant has been vindicated by the...

-PTI The marathon hearing on the issue of framing guidelines for media reporting of court proceedings concluded in the Supreme Court on Thursday, with some noted jurists terming the endeavour “judicial overreach” which will open the “floodgates” with a whole range of “complications.” A five-judge Constitution Bench reserved verdict, after 17 days of hearing, which started on March 27. The Bench was told that the apex court did not have inherent powers to...

Constitutional expert Fali S Nariman and former attorney general Soli S Sorabjee on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it would be judicial overreach if the Supreme Court framed coercive media guidelines on reporting ongoing criminal trials. The ominous warnings from Nariman and Sorabjee came on the concluding day of the over month-long deliberations by a five-judge bench comprising Chief Justice S H Kapadia and Justices D K Jain, S S...

–PTI The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the exercise undertaken by it for framing guidelines for reporting court proceedings was aimed at making the press know its “Lakshman rekha” and not intended for taking punitive action against scribes. “Whatever efforts we are making, please don't interpret it as being intended for punishing or taking punitive action. We only want the press to know the ‘Lakshman rekha' for them. “We want them to know...